Iran's Rowhani awaiting Rafsanjani’s decision

IranMania.com:

Iran's Supreme National Security Council Secretary Hassan Rowhani said that his decision on becoming a presidential candidate would be significantly influenced by Expediency Council Chairman Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani’s decision about running in the upcoming election. READ MORE

“I will only enter the election if I see the need, and this depends on who the final candidates will be,” he told the Mehr News Agency (MNA).

“Some candidates want to quit, and we are not yet sure how many candidates will run. Therefore, I have not yet made a final decision,” Rowhani added.

The SNSC secretary also noted that Rafsanjani’s participation in the election would have a greater influence than that of the current candidates.

Karrubi would establish Article 15 Committee if elected

Presidential candidate Mahdi Karrubi intends to establish a committee mandated by Article 15 of the Constitution for the first time if elected president, the head of the candidate’s campaign headquarters announced on Wednesday.

Speaking to a group of political activists in West Azarbaijan Province, Ali Akbar Mohtashamipur said that Karrubi would make meeting the people’s demands a priority in the next government.

If people call for ties with any specific country, the Karrubi administration will strive to realize that aim, he asserted.

He went on to say that the late Imam Khomeini believed in serving the people, which is also what pure Islam is about, adding that Karrubi also pursues this goal.

Qalibaf says his cabinet would not be a corporation

Iran's Former police chief Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf said on Wednesday that he would first attempt to change the structure of the government if elected president.

The next president should encourage public participation and make use of collective judgment in resolving national issues, he told university students in Mashhad.

Qalibaf stressed that he is an independent candidate and added that he does not want to turn his cabinet into a corporation.

Velayati can solve the country’s problems: MP

Majlis National Security and Foreign Policy Committee Deputy Chairman Mahmud Mohammadi has called former foreign minister Ali Akbar Velayati a strong manager who can solve the country’s problems.

Speaking at a gathering of Velayati supporters on Wednesday, Mohammadi said that Velayati will run as an independent candidate in the presidential election.

The country needs a president like Velayati, who cares for the people and is flexible at home and adopts a strong and decisive policy in foreign affairs, he added.